Daily Bruin

By Phillip Carter

Declining revenues prompted the students’ association board of
directors to start a campus-wide survey assessing its business
operations’ effectiveness so that the board can decide how best to
increase its overall profits.

Board members also heard reports at the start of Friday’s
meeting on earnings from the student stores, food venues and other
sales areas during June, July and August. Total gross income is
actually $482,000 higher than expected; however the association
showed a net loss of $134,000.

Prompted by these financial figures, the survey passed by the
board is part of the association’s larger effort to revive its
operations by finding out what student, faculty and staff needs
really are.

"We focused it mainly on questions we wanted answered," graduate
student board representative Peary Brug said. "The results of the
surveys will help guide focus groups soon after, so that critical
follow-up questions can be asked depending on the results of the
survey."

The survey, designed by the Student Affairs Information Research
Office in consultation with a special BOD committee, is a four-page
document that will be distributed to 2,500 UCLA students, faculty
and staff. Association officials said the questionnaires would be
mailed out early November. The association will dole out an
unspecified amount of cash money to those who return them, they
added.

Students’ association officials said that the survey will
examine popular attitudes and perceptions on campus toward the
different areas of association business.

"(Perceptions) are exactly what we want," said Executive
Director Jason Reed, in response to board comments that the surveys
should solicit more "factual" responses.

Adapted from earlier surveys done in 1985 and 1988, the
questionnaire asks its respondents to rank and comment on customer
service, food venues, students’ stores and overall prices.

Board members repeatedly said that the survey was not designed
to obtain demographic information about customers. Rather, they
said, it’s designed to expose intangible image issues for the
association.

"It is a perception survey, and people are going to have their
own perceptions on what perceptions we should try to find," Mark
Reyerson, undergraduate board representative, said. "I think this
is a base we can build off (for) the next four years, and I would
assume we would redo this again so that it’s a workable piece of
information each time we do it."

One question asking the respondent’s ethnicity sparked a small
debate among board members who felt that such a question might not
be appropriate on the business-oriented survey.

But Reed defended the question, saying that ethnic information
was necessary to insure an accurate sample of the campus.

"The only reason for (the ethnicity question) is to satisfy
ourselves that we’re getting representative answers from the
campus," Reed said. "This survey cannot do the job of trying to
find out what preferences are of certain demographic groups."

Costing roughly $14,000, funding for the surveys comes from a
$28,000 portion of the 1994-95 association budget set aside for
market research, according to Communications Director Anne Pautler.
Officials said the rest of the research budget is slated to be used
for interviewing focus groups.

The approval of the surveys was foreshadowed at the meeting by
financial reports made by association officials, which showed the
organization’s revenues below budget for the first three months of
this fiscal year.

Association officials said they were enthusiastic about the
increased total income for the association, but said a net loss
resulted because overhead costs were too high.

The association is looking at better management techniques –
such as stricter food portion control at on-campus eateries – as a
way of increasing profits.

"I’ve been through this with our finance managers, and we have a
big job ahead of us on cost control, and cost of sales
particularly," Reed said.

Officials added that several steps are already underway to
control overhead expenses, and of keeping association operations
open, among them the scaling back of hours worked by employees.

"We’re going to cut back on hours, but it’s unlikely (that it
will) have an effect on the number of people we hire," Reed said.
"We scheduled too much labor in parts of the store during the
summer period. We’re going to schedule labor according to sales,
not according to trend."

Association officials said they were hesitant to begin revisions
of the 1994-95 budget because of negative first quarter results.
Instead, they suggested waiting until results are available from
traditionally profitable months, such as September and October.

"I am continuing to monitor the situation closely, on a
month-by-month basis, to see what the effects of the number of
students on campus is," Reed said. "We’re reasonably confident that
we’ll make our budget in September for sales."

This year’s financial results are critical for the association,
officials said, because profits from 1994-95 will be the first to
be used to pay back the $1.7 million loss of 1992-93.

Several board members asked Reed what would happen if the
association were unable to meet its goal this year in paying back
its loss.

"Making this year’s budget will be difficult; 1995-96 and
1996-97 will be very difficult years," Reed said. "If we fail, we
will certainly be accused of not recognizing our own (debt)
policy."

He added that "optional" items such as the Student Interaction
Fund, which provides money for student activities, might be cut if
the association misses this year’s budget goal.

By Greg Cooper
Daily Bruin Staff

SAN FRANCISCO — As if deep budget cuts have not already caused
UCLA’s campus enough economic pain, at least $650 million will be
needed to fix all damages from the Jan. 17 Northridge quake,
Chancellor Charles Young told the UC Regents last week.

UCLA and the Federal Emergency Management Association realized
the damage was more extensive than authorities originally
estimated, Young said.

Although the damaged buildings pose no immediate danger, another
earthquake could cause more serious damage that might put many
rooms – including ones in the Medical Center – out of use
indefinitely.

In the event of another quake, buildings might not be able "to
meet the medical emergency," Young said.

The high costs were announced after FEMA investigated most of
the approximately 100 buildings on and off campus that suffered
cosmetic but no structural damage. FEMA officials predicted they
will need between $10 and $12 million to fix aesthetic damages such
as Kerckhoff Hall’s cracked spires.

The money will also be used to repair some of UCLA’s oldest and
most important buildings, including historic Royce Hall and Powell
Library, which suffered the most visible and expensive damage.

Royce Hall, often called UCLA’s most famous landmark, carries a
$38 million price tag for repairs. It has been closed to classes
and productions since the quake. Powell, now undergoing extensive
seismic reconstruction, suffered substantial damage to an ornate
ceiling.

Four other buildings, including the Men’s Gym, the Dance
Building, Kinsey Hall and the Mira Hershey graduate dorm, sustained
minor, but expensive, damages.

"We believe that the six (buildings) will have suffered
sufficient damage (that) could add up to $100 to $120 million,"
Young told the regents. "If indeed that’s the case, the state and
the federal government will try to fund 90 percent of it."

The brunt of the $650 million repair estimate, however, is going
to the nationally renowned Center for Health Sciences, which
includes the Medical Center. The sprawling three million square
foot complex will cost at least $500 million to $800 million to
repair.

Seven of its 11 buildings suffered quake damage, though all of
them lie too close to each other and need to undergo construction
to meet earthquake codes, authorities said. Officials are also
considering retrofitting the entire complex because, in the long
run, that may be most effective.

"Retrofitting (CHS) could entail rebuilding a large component of
the building," said Peter Blackman, vice-chancellor of Capital
Programs, the agency responsible for construction on campus.
"Possibly, new buildings will be more cost effective than
retrofitting old buildings and bringing them up to code."

FEMA and UCLA officials must inspect 7,400 rooms in the Medical
Center, including some operating rooms, although no medical
buildings closed following the earthquake. A study, to be completed
this fall, will inform UCLA and FEMA officials of the full extent
of damage and how to fix it.

"The act to determine where we head financially will occur when
FEMA officials issue a damage report predicated on the
architectural survey," Blackman said.

When construction does begin on the Center for Health Sciences,
campus officials said they will make sure that the facilities will
remain in working order.

"It would be fully occupiable and functioning throughout the
process," Blackman said, adding that the construction period should
last about five years.

By Greg Cooper
Daily Bruin Staff

Soon after the UC Student Association lost its lobbying powers
in the state government, the official student representative body
to the university’s administration was further crippled when UC
Berkeley yanked its support late last month.

Although its campus senate voted to eliminate ties with the
association, Berkeley’s undergraduate external vice president
succeeded in overturning the senate’s decision last week. However,
it still refuses to fund UCSA.

UCSA, composed of student governments from the nine UC campuses,
represents university students to the California legislature and
office of the UC president. Its funding comes from student fees,
which help support efforts to fight fee hikes and let regents know
student concerns.

Berkeley’s pullout follows UC Davis’ departure last year.
Translated into economic terms, the organization lost about $50,000
and 37,000 student members when the two schools bailed out.

UC Davis’ action came on the heels of a controversial legal
decision crippling the association’s political power.

Smith vs. Regents, a 1993 ruling, stated the organization could
no longer lobby the legislature with student fees. This limited the
association’s ability to influence state officials, members
said.

UC Davis student government leaders claimed the association did
not follow the Smith ruling, although UCSA officials said they
complied with the verdict.

"Our bylaws, charter and government documents are
Smith-sanitized," said Glenn Magpantay, UCSA’s executive
director.

Berkeley student leaders cited other reasons for leaving the
statewide association. They claimed the organization was, among
other things, "inefficient" and "invisible."

The impact of the two schools’ pullouts will be strong and
painful – hurting the association’s ability to advocate for
students, UCSA officials said.

"(The pullout means) a reduction in resources and what we need
to do," Magpantay said. "Some of the programs we wanted to start,
we won’t be able to do."

UCSA’s budget shrank from $250,000 to $200,000 after the
campuses withdrew their financial support. Because of a lack of
resources, the association scrapped plans to hire two new staff
members.

Magpantay said he worries about the political results of the
situation. He said if Berkeley and Davis take different paths to
educate students on pertinent issues, it could divide students.

"If Berkeley and Davis don’t do research (on how to best inform
their students about issues like fee hikes), it could pit students
against other students. We’ll be fed some info and they’ll be fed
some info from the president’s office," Magpantay said. "The Office
of the President has a history of creating dissension among
students."

The tension between the association and the two campuses
heightened last week when Berkeley and Davis leaders made a motion
at the UC Board of Regent’s meeting, to play a part in choosing the
student regent.

UCSA sends three candidates to a student regent selection
committee. Berkeley and Davis wanted to be involved, though UCSA
leaders were unhappy because they did not support the association.
The issue – just a sign of further troubles for UCSA – was
postponed until the next regents’ meeting.

"Once we’re spread all apart, student regent (selection) could
be taken away. Unless we’re unified and strong, we won’t be
effective, and faculty and administrators can do what they want,"
said Andre Quintero, acting president of UCSA.

Members of UCSA acknowledged problems within the organization,
but said they can be fixed.

York Chang, a board member on UCSA, said although the
organization may lose some effectiveness, "it didn’t cripple us.
The most important things we do won’t be affected as long as board
members work hard on campuses."

UCSA officials said they still lobby for students to the Board
of Regents and the Office of the President, though students are
often unaware of their work.

"I think the organization has gone through growing pains. We
haven’t been able to have a strong presence on campus within the
last year. But they’ve still been representing students to
regents," Chang said.

Chang pointed out that UCSA will pursue a voter registration
drive and are negotiating with regents to fight a possible mid-year
fee hike.

To improve the association and prevent further splits from the
group, York said he would like UCSA to offer students and student
groups a larger role.

"It should involve more students and student groups and let them
have a say in what it does instead of being an elite structure that
says we know best," he added.

By Julie Ann Silva
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Asian American studies graduated this summer.

Beginning this quarter, students intrigued by Asian American
ethnic studies can major in the field whereas before only a
specialization was possible.

The new bachelor’s degree program comes after more than five
years of faculty and student planning and will complement UCLA’s
existing seven-year-old undergraduate specialization program. The
new program is also the much younger sibling of UCLA’s Asian
American studies master’s program, which has been offered for more
than 15 years.

"Student reaction has been ecstatic," said Meg Thornton, student
community projects coordinator for the Asian American Studies
Center.

Still, many students said the undergraduate major was long in
coming – 25 years after the establishment of the center.

"Its about time that the university (made Asian American studies
a major), considering the population," said Arnold Serrano, a fifth
-year senior majoring in history. "The university always prides
itself on its diversity and its multi-racial students.

"We’re seeing the legitimization of what Asian American studies
is at this campus," he added.

UCLA senior Alyssa Kang waited four years to declare a major so
it could be Asian American studies.

"I decided early that I would wait for the major," Kang said.
"(Asian American studies) is my area of interest and I felt it was
a very important, legitimate area of study. It was also very
personal for me as well."

This latest addition to UCLA’s major options will swell the
university’s curriculum. "We’re hoping to expand course offerings
and the number of classes in Asian American studies to 60," said
Enrique de la Cruz, assistant director for the center. There are
now about 45 course offerings in Asian American studies.

Some students said the benefits of a more diverse curriculum
will stretch beyond Campbell Hall – the location of the Asian
American Studies Center.

"Even students not majoring (in Asian American studies) will
benefit by a greater course selection," Serrano said. "Another
advantage is that we’ll get more faculty, hopefully. This helps
students because we can have mentors – people who work in the
academic field who can encourage us academically."

During the five-year time span of the major’s development, the
center’s faculty has already grown from five to 16, de la Cruz
said.

Coinciding with the increase of faculty is the growth of course
requirements. The requirements to receive a B.A. in Asian American
studies more than doubles the amount of courses needed to
specialize in that field, de la Cruz explained.

The major enables classes that focus on specific experiences of
different Asian Pacific American communities by looking at them and
focusing on their issues as well as on broad topics like civil
rights and public policy, de la Cruz added.

Many students supported the need for the major by pointing out
the advantages of ethnic and cultural study.

When fifth-year senior Maria Ventura studied history in high
school, she said she noticed the absence of Pilipino culture and
history in the curriculum.

"You wouldn’t think we’ve been here for a long time – we’re
always seen as immigrants, as outsiders," said Ventura, who double
majors in sociology and Asian American studies.

"(Ethnic studies) sensitizes you a lot. It makes you more aware.
Once you’ve studied one community you’re more sensitive to others,"
Ventura said. "With the new major, there will be more funding and
more choices in the classes that can be offered."

Professors and center administrators said they predict a large
interest in the Asian American studies bachelor degree. At the
spring Asian Pacific Islander graduation, more than half of the
participating students had a specialization in Asian American
studies, Thornton said.

"People have been coming in all summer long inquiring about (the
new major)," de la Cruz said. "There are five petitions for a
change of major on my desk right now and this is only the first day
of classes."